


Chills

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Background Julerose and Myvan, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Ghost!Alya, Mentions of Death will be as tame as possible, Movie Shoot AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prankster Alya, Some Humor, Supernatural - Freeform, ghost au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-06 22:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16841542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: The winter winds aren’t the only thing howling when Nino and Adrien rent a large manor house and call in a few old friends to help shoot a film of Nino’s screenplay.Too bad the resident ghost hasn’t approved their agreement…or the new (and very living) Lady who comes to take up residence...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ultranimallover33](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultranimallover33/gifts).



> Thanks to Kellarhi for the beta read! <3
> 
> This is a setup chapter for me to make some mostly DjWifi + side pair Love Square ficlets. I will mostly be using the DjWifi December prompts, although it will have aspects of both (as well as some of the other tagged pairings to a far lesser extent).
> 
> Very much inspired here by [niyes-lahiffe](https://niyes-lahiffe.tumblr.com/) and her Ghost!Alya AU Anon. I flailed about it at the time, but Real Life(TM) got in my way a bit before I could put a bit of polish on this.

Nino sighed, tugging his smartphone out of his pocket. He immediately turned its camera away from his face, wheeling himself in a circle for a panoramic view. This would be havoc on his battery, but the video call itself would be worth it.

“So what do you think?” the voice on the other end of the line asked.

Green eyes and blonde hair popped into the frame as Nino turned the phone back to himself. 

“Honestly, dude? This place is perfect. I mean, I hate to give Chloe Bourgeois credit -- ever. But it seems like her real estate contacts are solid, at least.”

“See?” Adrien just snorted. “I told you. Chloe really does know her stuff.” 

Swiping the winter hat off his head, Nino shrugged out of his now damp coat, settling both neatly on the rack at the door. “I mean, even the outside shots would be great.” The place was picturesque enough in good light, but it also had enough trees and brush cover for the eerier scenes already taking shape in his mind.

“The place is warm enough?” Concern was clear in his friend’s voice.

A frown crossed Nino’s lips, as he shuffled over to a window near the door, placing his hand beside the glass pane. “I mean, it is a bit drafty here in the main hall, but its a solid shelter from the winter chill outside. You can hear the wind whistling just a little, though.”

Adrien nodded. “Yeah, I know sometimes those big, old houses really have issues. I think this was the place that had been empty for the past few months, right? With all the lights out and the house probably boarded up for months... I’m sure the utilities haven’t been up and running for long enough yet.”

“It’s fine, really.” Nino confirmed. Even with the cold, the grin on his face had hardly faded. He ascended the staircase, absorbing all the little details: the intricately carved railings; one eerily creaking step that could be used to great effect; the balcony at the top that leaned over the whole entry hall, which would make for an amazing shot. “I mean...maybe we’ll need to bundle up on a really cold day. But there are worse things.”

“I’m pretty sure this listing had a fireplace, too.” Adrien beamed back at him. “So, you want to go ahead with it?”

“I dunno, dude.” Nino grumbled. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to pay you back. I mean, the music gigs are going well… but those aren’t every night.”

“Of course they aren’t -- otherwise, you wouldn’t have had time to write this script.” Adrien sighed heavily. “Look, if you’re worried about the money, don’t. My father’s had mine in trust for so long that it isn’t going to be a hardship. I don’t see the point of even having that much unless I can do _something_ good with it.”

Nino held the phone away from himself again, showing Adrien bits of the details of his walkthrough. He didn’t dare hold it up to his face. Not with the tears already welling in his eyes.

Honestly,it had been enough that Adrien read through the draft script between photoshoots and university courses, and had been sold on the idea. 

His offer of financial backing -- frankly -- was insane.

It was too good an offer to refuse. He’d have the work to add to his resume, and he could do the editing once they both headed back to Paris. 

“Just... I dunno. Give me production credit or something.”

Nino chuckled warmly. “I mean, that’s a given. Why don’t you come out here and join me for the shoot? You deserve to enjoy at least one holiday with friends. And it gives you the excuse that you need to check out your investment.”

“I -- That would be awesome!” Adrien gaped. “I mean, I’ve got to wrap up my finals… and I’ll have to get Nathalie to adjust my shoot schedule a little…”

Nino smiled softly, shaking his head as Adrien rambled on. He leaned against the rail and slipped his cell phone camera over the edge to frame out a test shot. The rail creaked a little under his weight, but still felt remarkably solid for something that had to be quite old.

“Woah! Is that from the balcony?”

Nino smiled. “Yep. Just trying to see what special equipment this might take.”

It seemed like everything was suddenly -- finally -- coming together. Mylene’s acting troupe would be coming in once he’d finalized the location. He had a friend in a band who would help with setting up the shots since they had a lot of the camera and lighting equipment he lacked. 

It felt like everything was in order.

“Did you ever figure out what to do about the costumes?”

Nino groaned aloud. He was hoping that Adrien had forgotten about all that. “Not really…”

“Do you still think you want modern costumes?”

Glaring back at the phone, Nino sighed. “You sent me here intentionally, didn’t you?”

Adrien’s smile was guileless. “I don’t know what you mean… _Chloe_ sent you these places.”

“Uh huh.” Nino rolled his eyes, peeking into the first bedroom on the second floor. It was just as ornate as the entryway. “ _Don’t_ think I don’t remember what we talked about when you read the script the first time.”

“...And?” Adrien could be far too much like an overeager puppy after a bone.

He felt a chill as he continued down the west wing, creating gooseflesh up his arm. So the upstairs still had a bit of a draft -- it just added ambiance.

Nino shook his head. “And, you’re probably right. As much as I wanted to keep the storyline modern overall, this place has such an awesome old style charm. It would be a shame not to take advantage of that fact.”

When he looked back at the phone, Adrien had his eyes narrowed. “I’m hearing a ‘but’ here…”

“Of course you are,” Nino grumbled. “There was no way I’d be able to figure out the costumes without your help. But you are already paying far too much as it is…”

Mischief danced in Adrien’s green eyes. “And, like you said, this is an _investment_.”

“Adrien…” Nino sighed, peering into the second room. “I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”

“Nope!” Adrien smirked. “I’ve got an idea on how to help with that. You just focus on checking out the place, and send me a text when you’re done, so I can close on the rental agreement.”

“Will do.” Nino reassured.

Adrien beamed. “This is all going to be awesome. You’ll see.”

Smiling, Nino hung up to finish his cursory tour of the second bedroom and quickly popped into the third. He would only need to do shoots in one of the rooms. The rest would be allocated to putting up everyone else who would gather to help with the filming. He’d still need to take a proper count, but with everyone cleaning up after themselves, they could avoid maid services until they needed to clean up and turn the keys back over to the rental office.

His eyes pored over the mirrors and paintings that lined the walls at regular intervals. A smattering of faces -- a handful of sober-looking older men, and one stunning young woman with auburn curls -- peered back from canvases and were interspersed between scenic views of all seasons.

With very little difference, most of the rooms looked like carbon copies of one another-- they had just slight variations on a color theme. Underneath slightly dusty sheets, the rooms were stately with only hints of the old finished wood unveiled. 

At least that’s what he’d thought before he’d opened the handle on the fourth room. This room was actually a little larger than the others, but oddly felt a little cozier for it. The walls were a cheery yellow, and there was a bit of light peeking through the soft red fall of curtains.

A well-worn chair sat in the corner, and he noted this room had its own fireplace, which would really help to pull the lingering chill out of the air. This room, in particular, seemed to be quite cold.

Nino smiled, rubbing his arms slightly as he stepped over to the window. It was securely closed and latched, and it looked to be solidly sealed. However, he noticed that the wood here was splintered, and it seemed a bit older compared to the windows downstairs. He peered out onto the new fallen snow dusting the hills and trees nearby. A little bit of wildlife was the only hint of disruption to the backyard of the house. 

The stately rooms were nice… but this one?

This one felt like home.

Nino dropped into the chair, picking up his phone resolutely and typing off two words to Adrien that would seal his fate.

_Go ahead._


	2. Hot Chocolate

Alya blew out a shaky breath, chilling the air. 

Of course, bundled up as he was, the dratted man had scarcely noticed. 

He had been here, holed up in _her_ room for days on end. Typing away at his odd typewriter with hardly a care in the world…

Not caring just how inconvenient this all was for _her_.

It was a war for space, and yet -- for all of her current efforts -- the oblivious man continued to be none the wiser.

It was nearly impossible to make her presence known -- or felt -- at the moment. _Nino_ , or so his friend had called him on his new-fangled telephone, seemed to forever be wearing a pair of earmuffs that tucked down around his ears, and a heavy sweater wrapped tightly around his shoulders. 

He didn’t even shiver.

Alya stewed silently, pacing as she puzzled over her next move.

When he’d fallen asleep at the desk last night, she’d carefully tugged the red cap off of his head, flinging it carelessly across the room. 

But Nino hadn’t even had the decency to be properly terrified. He’d simply woken up, sleep-mussed and a little baffled when he gathered up his hat from the other side of the room.

She narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had decades to hone her skills. With a snap, she could control when she would be seen, especially so close to the spot where her spirit had parted with her physical form. However, her ability to apparate was constricted by her proximity to that location… and the farther she ventured, the less power she had to do anything. 

Frowning, she swapped her focus, inching his mug of cocoa just out of easy reach. She had started small, just slightly moving little things -- a pencil here, a chair there -- when he wasn’t watching.

As it turned out, he wasn’t watching _most of the time_. She knew-- _she_ had been watching _him_ , just as she had watched the men who thought they owned this home for years. 

But Nino didn’t treat her home callously as they had. Instead, he’d even made the bed and cleaned his own dishes. There weren’t a parade of maids and caretakers here to clean up after him.

The man even cooked for himself. It was the only time he was ever really away from her room for any length of time, so she’d only snuck down into the kitchen the once to confirm with her own eyes that he’d done so himself.

She peered at him cautiously, wondering if perhaps he wasn’t truly the new “owner”. Maybe he really was just a caretaker that was sent to make sure the house stayed properly warm during the winter months so the “internal pipes” the crew of men had installed over the summer wouldn’t burst. She’d heard the work crew grumbling enough about other projects while they were tromping through the house.

Wanting to know what the new owners intended to do with the house made her inclined to study him more closely. But Nino’s obliviousness? Well, _that_ made her inclined to test his _limits_.

And, despite her better judgment, curiosity was getting the best of her. She actually wanted to read what he’d found compelling enough to type away at with such single minded-focus. Of course, Nino kept folding his typewriter closed as if it were a book. And though she’d opened it, she couldn’t figure out how to get past the rectangle asking for a “password”. Instead, she just stared at the technological marvel… musing over the brightly illuminated replacement for paper. 

She wanted to leave him a message -- and she’d tried, to no avail. Knowing her current luck with him, even _had_ she been successful, he probably wouldn’t have noticed it.

But she wanted him to. It seriously grated her nerves that he kept missing the little signs she’d left. 

Alya was sorely tempted to tie shoelaces, so he’d trip over his own feet. Her little sisters had loved to do that. Pulling from their prank repertoire was bittersweet, but it allowed her to feel connected to them despite how long she’d been gone. And -- annoying as they had been -- she missed them far more than mere words could ever say.

Quashing the thread of grief before it could turn her focus, Alya huffed noisily, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched his fingers fly over the keys. 

She’d spent the better part of the last century seeing the changes in fashion and technology, but it had been some years since anyone else had been here. At least to stay. 

The current “owners” had tried often enough. She’d let them do repairs. Let them send people in to clean the house up. It was to her own benefit that she’d have enough of a house to haunt, after all.

But once the work was done, she was quick to send them all screaming on their merry way.

She didn’t often have to deal with intruders. With her fingers laboriously plinking down across the heavy typewriter keys, all it usually took was a few well-placed words.

GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. 

By then, the temporary occupants were quick to ensure their stay was only _temporary_. And the rumors that followed for years tended to result in a long-lasting quiet.

To be fair, they often left belongings like typewriters behind in a mad dash out of the house. All said, she’d spent more than a year applying her spectral self-- learning to boost her typing skill and speed-- for amusement during the tedium of the quiet.

And honestly, his little typewriter was fascinating. She had never seen a “sheet” of typewritten paper that glowed brightly before now.

But on the few occasions that he stepped away from it, he always pressed a combination of keys before closing the contraption and heading off to do chores.

He hadn’t given her a legitimate opportunity to use it herself yet.

Since this _Nino_ refused to leave the room for more than a few minutes or to even acknowledge her presence, it was almost entirely impossible for her to recharge. Not without touching him directly.

“Not like I want to make another ghost…” she murmured aloud. Unless they passed much as she did, their souls wouldn’t have been locked into place here.

Nino sat up straight in the chair at that.

She was sure for one tense moment that he’d heard her.

Instead, he’d simply stretched, reaching out to grab for his mug.

He tipped the cup of hot cocoa up to his lips, only to frown at the now chilled mug. 

“Huh,” he murmured. “I could swear this was still warm a few minutes ago…”

Alya groaned aloud, slapping her palm to her forehead. If she still had blood to race to her temples, her head would be pounding.


	3. Snowed In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big Thanks to Kellarhi and Enberlight for beta reading! <3

Nino was sure he _must_ be going crazy.

He was used to all of the organized chaos of siblings and noisy neighbors, the general hustle and bustle of Paris. But all of this _silence_ and the loneliness felt jarring.

There were lots of old stairs that creaked, and windows that didn’t fully seal in old houses like this one. It added to the general unease he’d felt since he arrived. 

The fact that he was busy writing a horror script only helped his mind run wild, and so he channeled every errant fear into a new piece of action or suspense for his story.

It really wasn’t like he needed to worry, though. He’d diligently checked all the doors and windows each night.

And also, he reasoned, it wouldn’t be nearly as bad in a few days, once everyone arrived to help with the last of the setup ahead of the shoot.

But for now, coping meant keeping his headphones on perpetually. It was an awful drain on the batteries, such that he had to keep alternating sets to keep them charged. The sound echoed through the house when he’d tried to play anything on his computer speakers, and the acoustics just never sounded right to his ear.

He’d called Adrien -- more than a few times, really -- just to keep himself from going crazy all alone out here. But his friend just assured him that everything was in hand and that everyone would be arriving in two days.

Which was great, except for the fact that this region had just gotten one of the worst snowfalls in decades. He’d faced the cold and attempted to clear the snow from the property. Well, at least from the driveway. 

As he worked, the snow kept falling. And although he had his trusty beats keeping him company and keeping him motivated, the sheer amount of time he was outside meant that his headset was once again drained of battery. He had a second set that was inside charging, but it didn’t help when _he_ was still outside, halfway through the latest pass of digging out from under all this snow. At least he was close enough to finish this stretch. 

Exhaling a breath into the chilly air fogged up his glasses, and the visceral crunch of snow beneath his feet filled his now bare ears. He paused to rest a moment as he thought about the additional hassle snow could bring. 

Thankfully, he had brought enough food and dry goods to last for a few days. He didn’t want to even imagine having to leave the house in weather like this. With any luck, the roads would be clear soon, and then he’d need to hit the small grocery in town again to stock up before everyone else arrived.

He could only hope that the snow wouldn’t keep everyone away for an extra few days. 

* * *

By the time he ducked back inside, another few inches had buried what little progress he had managed to make.

And there was still more of the storm yet to come. 

Shivering through a sigh, Nino shed his coat and hat, still heavy from the wet snow.

It didn’t help that this house was far larger than anything he’d been in before, so the yard was just as massive. He was used to shoveling a few meters of the walkway, and wasn’t entirely prepared to push through twenty times as much.

He bent down to pick up the wet clothes, his shoulders aching from the small bit of effort…

Nino sighed. He would love nothing more than to curl up and sleep for a few hours. But if he wanted to be done on time, he really needed to get back to the script and get a few solid hours of polish on it. 

Snagging a cup of cocoa from the kitchen to help him warm up, he moved back upstairs.

* * *

Nino had drained the cup as soon as the warm liquid was cool enough not to scald his tongue, but the caffeine only kept him going for a little over an hour.

With a weary groan, he plopped back onto the middle of the bed, not even budging the comforter. His hat tipped off of his head, but he was a little too tired to even care at the moment.

He was stuck in the middle of rewriting everything. It had started with what seemed like minor changes to the staging, and porting the timeframe back. But even just adjusting for a few decades had proven to be far more of a challenge than he’d expected.

He’d thought to recruit help through the internet, but the snow had obliterated any hopes of that. The connection had been spotty at best, and the data connection on his phone was only good in a few sections of the house.

Nino shut his eyes, scrubbing his hands over his face. Really, he needed an editor, but the only one who had already seen the script was Adrien. 

However, with his friend still in the midst of finals -- and considering how much he was already arranging -- Nino felt guilty about the prospect of asking anything more of him. 

* * *

When Nino opened his eyes again, it was dark. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he shouldn’t have been surprised after trying to clear the entire driveway on his own.

Shaking his head, he stood up to find the light switch and settled himself back behind the still-glowing screen.

Staring at the words for days on end had left them mostly ingrained in his mind.

Nino frowned, scrolling down the page. For some reason now, they were just a little different.

He dialed the phone, pulling up Facetime.

Adrien’s answer was half muffled into a yawn.

“Did you edit my script?”

“Huh?” Adrien mumbled, mussing his hair where it fell against his pillow. “Nope. I have one last final that I was studying for tomorrow afternoon. But I can check it over after I get home tomorrow.” He peered offscreen. “Well… tonight now, I guess. And probably after I take a nap, too.”

Nino’s eyes narrowed as he looked back to the screen. “I’m… not sure that I’m going to need it, dude.”

“Huh?” 

“The document is edited.” Nino shook his head, brows furrowed. "But I didn't know where these edits came from."

“You don’t?” Adrien blinked.

Navigating through the revision history, Nino frowned. 

Adrien snorted, humor lighting up his eyes. "You have a _ghostwriter_? Well. I guess that would be a _ghost-editor_ , wouldn’t it?”

"Not likely.” Nino sighed. “I mean... I guess it is possible that I did it earlier, and just forgot. I _did_ have glass of wine with dinner. And a bit of cocoa after I came in from shoveling the drive… but even with all the extra exercise, I'm not usually _that_ much of a lightweight."

Adrien shook his head. “Hmmm. Well, if you think you’re okay, I need to get back to sleep.”

Nino nodded. “Sure, man.”

“Take it easy.”

Standing up, Nino stretched his arms over his head. Even if he was drained, he should still get the dishes cleaned up.

As he reached to collect the mug, it slipped away from his fingers, hovering in mid-air.

Nino’s eyes boggled, staring at the empty space below the mug.

The space around the mug seemed to shift, and as something slowly took shape… he began to make out the slim, tan fingers laced through the white handle.

A compellingly haunting voice echoed through the room. “I’m afraid your friend is right.”

Gaping, Nino acted quickly, picking up his phone to record. “Can you do that again?”

The voice just chuckled. “Usually this is the point where everyone runs away.”

“No way, Lady.” Nino pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head furiously. “My friend is spending way too much money on helping me out for me to bail out now.”

“ _Lady_ , hmm?” The voice purred gleefully. “Well, _at least_ you’re being polite about it. And you have been keeping my house clean. What is it that you wanted me to do?”

Nino tilted his head, lifting the phone into place. “Can you fade again?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“And lift the mug up?”

The mug rose up a few inches, hovering above the desk.

Carefully, Nino circled around the desk, getting a few seconds of footage before pocketing his phone. “You’ve been here all along, haven’t you?”

The curve of her lips was one of the first things he could make out as the mug carefully settled back onto the desk. The rest of her slowly appeared-- a hazy form seated upon the desk, dark arms folded over the white cloth covering her chest. She peered back at him. “What do _you_ think?”

Nino gulped, flattening his lips into a thin line as he paced the room. “I think so. I think you’ve been moving around some little things. I was so sure I put something down in one place, only to have it a bit further out of reach.”

Her gaze trained on him, her voice a little more substantial as her image regained form, the soft curls at her shoulders shifted slightly as she followed his path. “Mmmhmm.”

Nino bit his lip nervously, his hand dragging over the day's worth of stubble. “And I think you just made edits to the script on my computer.”

She smirked, mischief plain in her amber eyes. “Is that a problem?”

“Not at all,” Nino grumbled, his hand dropping aimlessly back to his side. “In all honesty, they’re good. Between that and your ability to go invisible, I honestly wish I _could_ hire you.”

Her brows rose sharply at that. “Then why don’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there is a DJWifi December prompt for Chills you’d really like to see…feel free to drop me a comment here or an ask on Tumblr (Same username). I've already planned out some of the prompts, but I can usually be persuaded to do more. ;)


End file.
